Editor's picks: Involving staff in marketing generates good ideas and sense of teamwork Profit-boosting ideas welcome at staff meetings 10 tested ways to make your staff meetings more interesting and productive … [Read more...] about Encouraging staff ideas
You can’t do it all
By Steve M. Cohen bio I've been asked, even criticized, about focusing too much on the "soft" side of management. I'm asked why I don't discuss more "concrete" issues like medical billing software or the latest Medicare requirements. One answer is that these are not my areas of expertise. But the most important answer for you is that these are not the really … [Read more...] about You can’t do it all
Avoid these 4 deadly discrimination traps when hiring or firing
The possibilities of stirring up a discrimination claim when hiring and firing are endless. All that's needed is an assertion, however thin, that the decision was based on some wrongful reason. Here are four areas that can take a manager by surprise. Dear Applicant: You're not hired. First is the letter of rejection the office sends to its turned-down job applicants. Don't … [Read more...] about Avoid these 4 deadly discrimination traps when hiring or firing
Employee bonuses
Editor's picks: Avoid these 5 common but costly wage and hour violations 3 bonus formulas that boost staff productivity Asking for a raise … [Read more...] about Employee bonuses
Get a grip on costly office gossip
By Dr. Steve M. Cohen No matter how distracting, office gossip is something that no manager will ever completely eradicate. Like other human foibles, it's too ingrained in our systems. That doesn't mean you should ignore it or let it dominate your workplace. Office gossip is increasingly dangerous to many workplaces, including medical offices. It's not that people do it more … [Read more...] about Get a grip on costly office gossip
Do you have ‘fatal’ thinking flaws?
In a 10-year study, involving hundreds of interactive creative problem-solving sessions, business strategist and innovation coach Matthew E. May gave over 100,000 professionals a thought challenge far less complex than their routine business problems. Results? Not only did less than 5 percent arrive at the best and most elegant solution, but the solutions given were … [Read more...] about Do you have ‘fatal’ thinking flaws?
Using mobile technology
Editor's picks: Beware of HIPAA-related text messaging risks HIPAA is now striking small offices; the first hit is on mobile devices Staff and remote access: more than patient information is at risk … [Read more...] about Using mobile technology
Old policies can be worse than no policies
By Steve M. Cohen bio Office managers have a great deal of work that is unexciting at best. Topping this list may be updating policies. But with recent court rulings, new regulations, and other changes, it's more than likely that your policies need a bit of updating. It's a mistake to assume that you can "just get by." One error that many make is confusing "policy" … [Read more...] about Old policies can be worse than no policies
More than half of workers more committed to personal life
Work-life balance may become a reality, if workers have anything to say about it. According to research from staffing firm Robert Half, 54 percent of professionals have increased their commitment to their personal life over the last year. Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed say they are more committed to their career, and 34 percent cite additional dedication to their … [Read more...] about More than half of workers more committed to personal life
Travel and weight loss take priority over retirement savings
Nine in 10 working Americans believe they should be investing for retirement, but only three quarters (75 percent) are taking any action, with many prioritizing other goals, like weight loss and travel, over increasing their retirement savings, according to the 2016 Financial Freedom Survey from brokerage firm Capital One Investing. The annual study, which measures current … [Read more...] about Travel and weight loss take priority over retirement savings